How Many People and Countries Speak Spanish

Spanish is the fourth-most spoken language in the world, with nearly 500 million native speakers and a total of 543 million speakers worldwide, including native and non-native speakers (1). It is the official or national language in many countries, and is also widely spoken in territories where it is not the official language.

Spanish speaking countries with Spanish as Official or national language

In most Spanish-speaking countries, the constitution or law establishes Spanish as the official language (De iure), meaning it is the only or main language used in verbal and written communications. In other countries, Spanish is considered the official language without a legal regulation establishing it (De facto). For example, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

Countries that have Spanish as their official language are mainly from Latin America where there is also Indigenous communities that are very small groups but also have their own language. Some countries like Venezuela have legally established that Indigenous languages are protected by law and are official for those communities (2)

Countries with Spanish as their official language

This list starts with the top countries that speak Spanish and descends to those whose population is smaller.

Country	Population (2021)
Mexico	130,207,371
Colombia	50,355,650
Spain	47,260,584
Argentina	45,864,941
Peru	32,201,224
Venezuela	29,069,153
Chile	18,307,925
Guatemala	17,422,821
Ecuador	17,093,159
Bolivia	11,758,869
Cuba	11,032,343
Dominican Republic	10,597,348
Honduras	9,346,277
Paraguay	7,272,639
El Salvador	6,528,135
Nicaragua	6,243,931
Costa Rica	5,151,140
Panama	3,928,646
Uruguay	3,398,239
Equatorial Guinea	857,008
	Total: 442,476,007

Countries where Spanish is commonly spoken but not as official language

In addition to the countries where Spanish is the official language, there are territories where Spanish is widely spoken, even if it is not the official language. These territories include the United States, Belize, Gibraltar, and Andorra.

Country	Population (2014)	Total speakers	Percentage Spanish-speaking
United States	318,892,103	59,763,631	19%
Belize	340,844	165,296	56.6%
Gibraltar	29,185	23,857	82%
Andorra	85,458	~40,000	43.2%(2)

Spanish in United States

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the United States after English. The survey found that in 2019, 41.5 million people aged five and over, or approximately 13% of the U.S. population, spoke Spanish at home. (3)

The percentage of Spanish speakers varies by state and region. In some states, such as California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, more than a quarter of the population speaks Spanish at home. In Florida, nearly one in five people speaks Spanish at home. (4) In addition, Spanish is widely used in many industries, including healthcare, education, and hospitality, making it a valuable skill for many professionals.

Importance of learning Spanish

Learning Spanish can be very useful, as it is widely spoken in many countries and territories. In addition, Spanish is a romance language, which means that it provides a basis for learning other romance languages such as French and Italian. As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, knowing Spanish can also be an asset in many professions.